Ziaul Hasan
The liberal government’s recent imposition of carbon tax has caused a prolonged debate on traditional and social media sites among Canadian from all walks of life. While some supported the step, many simply bashed it as another money mongering measure insensibly imposed on the ordinary people by the government. However, it is indeed an important step towards carbon neutrality in Canada’s fight against climate change.
When it comes to climate change, President Donald Trump is not alone; there are many like him who believe in climate change, or simply consider it as a hoax. There is another group of people who acknowledges global warming, yet unwilling to do anything about it. People belonging to both the groups tend to overlook all the signs of climate change including natural disasters and discrepancies in temperature, and these are the people who are opposing the government’s carbon tax on four provinces including Ontario.
Before going to the pros of carbon tax, we need to know what carbon tax really is. Carbon tax is a direct price on emission gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect. Greater consumption of fuel results in greater emission and subsequently to bigger tax amount to be paid to the government. The whole concept is pretty straightforward and the classic price-consumption theory of economics plays a role here. When the prices increases, consumption declines, and this concept lies in the very heart of carbon tax, which is a tool to decrease fuel consumption resulting in lesser carbon emission.
Carbon tax, however, is not a new concept even in Canada, let alone the rest of the world. Some of the provinces including Quebec and British Columbia have been maintaining carbon tax for years. In talking about the world, many countries have already imposed carbon tax and to name a few are South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands and Sweden.
For Canada, the Federal Government has imposed carbon tax to those provinces and territories that did not have any plan to fight global warming. And tax is not only on households or ordinary Canadian; it is also applicable for big industries. It is something everyone, without any discrimination, division and inequity, shares according to the proportion of consumption. The government has imposed the tax to meet the Paris Agreement as a part of which Canada, along with many other countries, promised to reduce greenhouse gas emission. And in doing so, the carbon tax has been implemented in a rate of $10 per tonne this year, and increase by $10 per year until it hits $50 per tonne in 2022.
Canada’s plan is realistic because climate change is real, as real as it can be and the effects are manifested every now and then through increasing occurrence of drought, cyclones, wildfire and flood across the world. Another upside of carbon tax is that it is actually helping Canadians to earn some extra cash in a form of carbon tax rebate. The federal government is committed to reimburse the money ordinary Canadians are paying. Thus, an average family in Saskatchewan will annually receive 598 dollars while the amount is 300 dollars for Ontarians.
Besides, it is also to keep in mind that the industries are equally paying carbon tax as individuals, however, without any rebate. Thus the tax industries are paying will eventually be spent for ordinary Canadians in forms of social developments. And in course of time industries will come up with new innovation in fuel efficiency to tackle the tax and will also help Mother Earth in the process. It is yet to be seen to what extent Canada’s carbon tax succeeds to control global warming but at least it is a good step given that we only have one planet to live on. It is high time that we come out form the boundaries of personal gain and think about the beautiful planet we live in. Because it is our home and also the home for our future generations and we must protect it from any danger. Climate change is real and its harms are real too, and attempts like carbon tax can actually lessen its affects, it not eradicates it completely. I personally love the planet very much and I believe others should too.
